- Apple's rumored 18.8-inch foldable might run macOS
- It's also now tipped to launch in 2027
- It could rely on big changes coming in macOS 16
While many of its rivals – Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and more – have started to release foldables, Apple has been noticeably absent. New leaks, however, are teasing it’s not just working on a bendy iPhone but a folding iPad too that is tipped to run macOS.
We reported yesterday (March 17) on the most recent foldable iPhone rumors. It could launch in 2026 but it may be pretty darn pricey, with a starting price of $2,300 (around £1,750 / AU$3,600) – for that kind of money we’re expecting an invisible crease and a self-healing screen.
Today we want to instead focus on Apple’s rumored 18.8-inch foldable which is said to be an iPad-MacBook hybrid. Previously it wasn't expected to launch until 2028, but a new report from Analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors) now suggests the foldable will begin production in late 2026 ahead of a 2027 release.
Beyond teasing an earlier release than we expected, Pu adds that the hybrid will lean more towards its MacBook side – saying he believes the foldable will run MacOS instead of iPadOS. This ties into comments made by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (behind a paywall) that design changes are coming to iOS 19 and macOS 16 to better support foldables and touch-screen computers.
For now, however, this report should be taken with a pinch of salt. While Jeff Pu is an analyst with a fairly solid track record, his macOS guess is just that: a guess. He doesn’t cite an insider’s leak and instead references a Wall Street Journal report (paywalled) which describes the foldable as being like a laptop but doesn’t directly confirm it runs on macOS.
That said, it wouldn’t be the first time the large foldable has been associated with macOS.
Back in December last year, we reported on rumors the device would be able to run macOS apps – though then it was said the device would run a souped-up version of iPadOS capable of running both operating systems' apps.
Even if it doesn’t end up running macOS proper, it sounds like Apple is gearing up to launch some kind of touchscreen laptop-like device which certainly has its appeal though some major questions remain like the device’s cost and specs. If the foldable iPhone is $2,300, expect this larger display to be a lot more expensive when it launches.
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